With Parasite, Korean auteur Bong Joon Ho made a monumental entry into Hollywood's elite circle – and he shows no signs of slowing down. Five years after sweeping the Oscars with Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film for his incisive capitalist thriller, Director Bong returns with his third English-language film, Mickey 17, featuring a stellar lead performance by Robert Pattinson. But rest assured: this isn't Bong selling out. Similar to Snowpiercer and Okja, Mickey 17 ventures deep into the realm of eccentric sci-fi. It's a wild tale of rampant capitalism, monstrous threats, and multiple Robert Pattinsons. This is Director Bong at his most expansive. Everyone, meet Mickey 17.
The latest issue of Empire offers a world-exclusive deep dive into the wild world of Mickey 17, featuring interviews with Bong himself, along with his stars Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, and Steven Yeun. They discuss the challenges of following up his Oscar-winning masterpiece, the adjustments made to Edward Ashton's novel Mickey7 (including the addition of those extra 10 Mickeys), and how to craft a cinematic sci-fi epic drenched in that unique 'Bong sauce'. The issue is brimming with never-before-seen images, providing the most comprehensive preview yet of Bong's grand return. It's an all-access pass to one of 2025's most eagerly awaited films, from a filmmaker known for his unpredictability.
The newsstand cover this month presents a double dose of Robert Pattinson: Mickey 17 alongside his more volatile reprinted 'expendable', Mickey 18. Meanwhile, the subscriber cover goes all-in on the reprint theme, featuring an exclusive illustration by Supertotto that amplifies the Mickey count. And that's just the beginning! This issue is packed with additional content, including a deep dive into the future of cinema, a gathering of the directorial talents behind Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, a look at the future of the Lord Of The Rings saga, an exploration of Bene Gesserit history with Dune: Prophecy, a journey to the Pride Lands with Mufasa: The Lion King director Barry Jenkins, a career-spanning interview with Wicked's Cynthia Erivo, and much more. It's an issue so dense with content, you might wish for 17 reprints of yourself just to absorb it all.
Empire's world-exclusive Mickey 17 issue hits newsstands on Thursday, October 24. Pre-order your copy online now. Mickey 17 arrives in UK cinemas on January 31.
